10 Ways to Keep Rabbits From Eating Your Vegetables and Flowers

Plants That Repel Rabbits

After spending so much of your money, time, and energy to get a classic garden, the last thing you want is to get it turned upside down by pests like rabbits.

Though rabbits are cute little rodents, they are capable of devastating your plantation and bringing it to its worst condition.

They will not only damage your veggies and plants but also litter all around to get some fun.

But worry not; there are ways by which you can successfully deter them away from your backyard garden in the most natural manner.

How to Deter Rabbits?

Rabbits like to stay in areas with good hiding spots, which involve tall grasses, unformed environments, and bushes.

Hence, the very first step is you should get rid of such favorable conditions. You can mow your overgrown lawn or opt for a total clean-up. 

Then you can use some of the below-mentioned ways without using any kind of pesticides…

1- Own a dog

When you keep a dog, you can easily scare rabbits away.

Keeping dogs in your yard can also help by repelling other pests away, and it’s a great option for dog lovers too.

But remember, it may not be a preferred option for those who don’t love dogs because owning a pet brings along its own set of responsibilities.

So, you should go for this option only if you like dogs.

2- Go for mesh fencing

Mesh fencing is a popular way to keep rabbits away, especially if you live in an area with an abundant rabbit population.

If you are going for this strategy, it’s good to get a chicken wire mesh of around an inch or less.

It can help you to keep even smaller rabbits away.

Choosing the right height of the fence is also important because these pests are capable of climbing and jumping when the height of the fence is less.

When checking the height, make sure you consider snowfall too.

Dense snowfalls make it simpler for rabbits to climb over. Hence, the minimum height should be 4 feet.

Also, keep in mind that rabbits are capable of digging under your mesh fencing.

But, you can prevent it by making your fence go below at least 6 inches into the ground.

3- Trapping and relocation

Trapping the rabbits for relocation can be a tough job for few homeowners.

But if you think you are good at installing a bait and a trap for catching rabbits, make sure you choose only humane traps.

As soon as the rabbits get trapped, they should be released into favorable habitats.

You should never release them in a residential neighborhood, as it is just like transferring your problem to someone else.

Before catching them, you should also check with your local regulations and legal guidelines that should be followed.

4- Use metals to make loud sounds

Rabbits have special hearing abilities that enable them to hear voices from a greater distance.

You can take advantage of this to repel them away from your vegetable garden, yard, or under the deck.

These sounds alert them as they think that a predator is looking forward to attacking them.

To make this strategy work, do the following:

  • Look for good long sticks, and dig the ground
  • Now put the stick in the ground and make sure it is firm in the soil
  • Get two metal tins or empty cans and tie them to the stick. Do this in different parts of your garden.
  • Now to get this trick to work, you just need a breeze. If the metals are light, they can easily be blown with a slight breeze.
  • With several metals clinging at the same time because of the howling of the night wind, rabbits will never be comfortable coming into your garden.

If this method is used consistently, you can easily scare rabbits away from your garden because they are quiet animals that do not prefer to be around noise.

They will consider it as a threat or a danger zone and stay away from your garden.

5- Make use of a disguised human effigy

You can create this with the help of sticks or by getting a human-like figure or old attire.

Just like the above approach, take two sticks to make a cross. Then insert it deeply into the ground.

Now put an old dress (glowing attire will be more suitable) on the stick.

If you have a large lawn or a garden, try making more than one effigy.

It makes an impression that the garden is filled with many people, which keeps rabbits away.

6- Attract night killer birds like owl

Both owls and rabbits are night animals, and they prefer to come out in the dark.

At the same time, rabbits are extremely fearful, and for this reason, birds like owls can scare rabbits easily.

To deter rabbits away, you can either attract the owls to your garden or can hang a fake owl on a tree branch.  

7- Try attracting rabbits towards trick plants

Trick crops (also known as trap crops) are great alternatives if you like to have rabbits around in your backyard but don’t want them to come near your valuable plants in the garden.

You can make these trick crops work by planting them at a small distance from the plants you want to safeguard.

These crops will attract unwanted pests (like rabbits) towards them and will not make them move ahead when they know there is ample supply present.

Some of these trick plants that rabbits like most are peas, lettuce, broccoli, and beans.

how to get rid of rabbits in garden

8- Grow plants that repel rabbits

The plants which deter rabbits can either be odor based or taste-based.

Smell-based repellents are those crops with a strong odor to repel rabbits, while taste-based repellent plants deter them because of their hard or bitter taste.

Remember, some plants are toxic and may kill rabbits.

Though rabbits are capable of smelling dangers from a distance, it is not suggested to plant such crops because in case it doesn’t find any other veggie to eat, they can eat these poisonous plants and die.  

Below is a list of rabbit deterrent plants that these critters hate…

  • Agave
  • Ajuga
  • Allium
  • Artemisia
  • Bee Balm
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Bougainvillea
  • Camellias
  • Catnip
  • Columbine
  • Echinacea
  • Goatweed
  • Honeysuckles
  • Impatiens
  • Iris
  • Juniper
  • Lavender
  • Lenten Rose
  • Lungwort
  • Red Hot Pokers
  • Rhododendrons
  • Spurge
  • Stachys
  • Verbena
  • Yarrow
  • Yucca

9- Get commercial rabbit repellents online

Using commercial repellents is an easy way to keep rabbits out of the garden without a fence.

Rabbits are known to have a great sense of taste and smell, so repellents are made in the form of liquid or granules.

You can apply it to plants and shrubs, and their smell and taste will keep the rabbits at bay. However, these repellents are made from natural and harmless ingredients.

There are a lot of repellents you can buy. Here is a list included for reference purposes. Take a look:

Liquid Fence Deer and Rabbit Repellent

This is a highly recommended product for rabbit and deer control.

Its available in three varieties, i.e., concentrated, granular and ready-mix spray. You may check out the instructions to find out what suits your specific needs.

Since these rabbit repellents cause no harm to plants and pets, you can cover a big part of your house with them.

The repellent also has a durable after effect as it will last nearly a month before you’d need to re-apply it.

Nature’s Mace Deer and Rabbit Repellent

The repellent makes bold claims because, in comparison to the other repellents, it has three times more active ingredients.

The ingredient list includes mint oil, egg solids, white pepper, and garlic. They are harmless and do not pose any threat to plants and pets.

It helps in getting rid of rabbits as soon as you apply it in your garden and yard. With so many positives, the repellent does have its downside too.

It involves the cost and the chance of being washed away by the rain.

I Must Garden Rabbit Repellent

I Must Garden a product that’s specially designed only for rabbits.

So, if that is the only animal pest you aim to keep away, this product can work great for you.

Rain lessens the effect of most rabbit repellents. It is because they get washed off by the rains.

However, this repellent can overcome this problem as it adheres to your plant’s leaves very well for a long.

10- Install movement sensor water spray or ultrasonic devices

These electronic repellents are used, especially when you have a fence. They get activated whenever there is an intrusion.

The sensors stream bursts of water all over the garden, thereby frightening the rabbits away from your lawn, trees, grass, flower beds, pathways, and entrance.

The only downside is, to make this method effective regular inspection is needed.

Ultrasonic devices are also helpful in scaring rabbits away. These radiate a high sound frequency, making your home environment uncomfortable for rabbits.

Remember, it is not an option for those who have pets at home because your pets may get distressed by its sound.


What are the Best Traps to Catch Rabbits?

When it’s about buying one, my best pick is the Havahart 1083 Easy Set One-Door Cage Trap.

It’s easy to set and use for small rabbits as well as for squirrels.

Ideal for first-time trappers, you can easily set the trap and release the animal once it’s trapped inside the cage.

Few other options you can check while buying include:

  • OxGord Live Animal Catch and Release Trap
  • Kensizer Large Animal Humane Live Cage Trap
  • Trapro XL Collapsible Humane Live Animal Cage Trap

A rabbit trap is a spring-loaded trap that’s very much similar to a mouse trap.  

Some of them use bait to catch them alive, while there are many that are designed to kill the rabbit inside the cage.

These types of traps to kill the animal uses a spring, a hammer, a catch, and a platform.

The trap you choose to pick should be easy to set.

Removing the animal from the trap (once it is trapped or killed) should also be easy.

And so should be resetting it to catch the animal again in the trap.


What Bait Should You Use to Attract a Rabbit to the Trap?

To successfully bait the rabbits, you can either camouflage their favorite food (like the roots of various plants and trees) or can use store-bought bait for their traps.

IMO if you want to pro-actively use a mechanical trap (rather than choosing a poison-based solution), baits in the form of their favorite food could add to the effectiveness of your trap.

When choosing the commercial bait for rabbits – check if it has the ability to attract these critters.

If the animal does not get lured by its smell or taste, he won’t consume it.

So, the bait needs to smell like tasty food.

Another point to find out here is what amount of bait you need to kill a rabbit.

Well, once the rodent gets lured by it, only a few bites will prove fatal for him.

If it needs more than that, remember that the major ingredient has been diluted to a great extent!

It may not kill the animal but make it sick and help it develop a bait aversion to the major component for any future encounter.

So, how long will a rabbit take to die once it consumes a lethal dosage?

Well, it will not take more than a day.

If it takes more than that, you are probably using a bad formulation.

Lastly, if you are not using homemade bait and prefer buying them online, only pick the baits that have a successful history.

Just because there is new rabbit bait in the market doesn’t mean it will work.

You don’t have to be the beta-tester for the company. Just go for the most durable baits with a proven track record.

You will also need to pick the morsels that can withstand bad weather (like rain) before the animal has ingested them.

The Conclusion

Rabbits are burrowing rodents that are known to cause severe property damage if left unnoticed.

If constantly intruding rabbits into your garden is making you feel worried, you don’t need to spend a lot of money.

Fortunately, you have various rabbit repellent strategies to help naturally.

However, if you are concerned about your pets’ safety, you need to be more cautious with hazardous plants.

In that case, you can try the other mentioned ways to help keep the rabbits at bay.

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